LeBron James undecided on Olympics
NBA: LeBron James says he has not decided whether he’ll play in the 2016 Olympics.
James said Monday following the Cavaliers’ practice that he’s “nowhere near” deciding if he’ll again play for Team USA in two years. Kevin Durant has reportedly said he will play for the American squad in Brazil, but James said following practice that “I haven’t even thought about it too much. I haven’t decided.”
The 29-year-old James has played on three U.S. Olympic teams, winning gold medals in Beijing and London and a bronze in Athens.
• Suns’ Bledsoe glad to return: Eric Bledsoe was confident he would be back with the Suns despite a long summer of uncertainty that finally ended with the point guard signing a five-year, $70 million contract just days before training camp.
While negotiations dragged on amid speculation that Bledsoe might sign a one-year qualifying offer for $3.7 million from Phoenix or go to Minnesota in a sign-and-trade-deal, the 6-foot-1 guard stayed at home in Birmingham and did what Suns coach Jeff Hornacek told him to do.
Phoenix also announced the signing of twin forwards Markieff and Marcus Morris to four-year contract extensions after both had career years in 2013-14..
• Clippers sign new assistants: Doc Rivers is adding three new assistant coaches to his Los Angeles Clippers staff for the upcoming season.
Former NBA veteran Sam Cassell, Lawrence Frank and Mike Woodson will join Rivers on the bench. They replace Alvin Gentry, Kevin Eastman and Tyronn Lue.
Doeren: FSU players faked injuries
MISCELLANY: North Carolina State football coach Dave Doeren said Florida State players faked injuries to slow the Wolfpack’s offense, a charge Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher denies.
Doeren first raised the issue after Saturday’s 56-41 loss to top-ranked FSU. He said FSU defensive players would go down with an injury that stopped the clock, go to the sideline then immediately return to the game.
• Pro leagues against N.J. sports betting: Four major professional U.S. sports leagues and the NCAA have filed a legal challenge to New Jersey’s latest attempt to offer legal sports gambling.
New Jersey suffered court defeats in its efforts to have a 1992 federal law against sports gambling ruled unconstitutional. But Republican Gov. Chris Christie this month issued a directive that would allow casinos and racetracks to offer sports wagering as long as it wasn’t state-regulated.